


You Step Up (I'll Step Up Too)

by dancingelf88



Series: Scerek Week 2015 [4]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dance, Alternate Universe - High School, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-09
Updated: 2015-05-09
Packaged: 2018-03-29 18:47:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,946
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3906805
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dancingelf88/pseuds/dancingelf88
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Derek Hale's dance partner gets hurt and he's forced to find a replacement, the last thing he expects is Scott McCall<br/>(A Scerek Step Up dance!au)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Day 6 of Scerek Week: Movie Saturday. I chose "Step Up" because I love dance aus. (Unimaginative) title taken from the title track of the movie by Samantha Jade.  
> Other couples mentioned: Boyd/Erica, Stiles/Malia, Allison/Kira  
> Enjoy!

“Ok, Scotty come on take the picture.” Stiles, donning a fake moustache and a feathered Shakespeare hat, says and strikes a dramatic pose with the mannequin he’s also dramatically dipping. Stiles, Scott’s best friend does a lot of things dramatically. He also talks them into doing really idiotic things which explains why they are, at the moment, in the auditorium of the Beacon Hills Academy of the Arts taking pictures with theater props. One of their friends dared them to break into the school (and with photographic proof) for the price of $200.

Scott had refused at first but Stiles, trash-talker that he was, had gladly accepted the challenge. Scott, who took his Best Friends duties seriously, was not about to let him go alone.

“Ok got it, dude, let’s go!” Scott whispers furiously.

“Relax, Scotty no one’s here. We just made 200 buckaroos easy as pie.” Stiles smirked.

As soon as the words leave his mouth Scott knows they’re screwed. A few things happen very quickly: Stiles trips over thin air and ends up crashing to the ground bringing down not only the mannequin but some statue prop with him, they hear two security guards come rushing their way, Scott somehow manages to push Stiles out of the auditorium window, Scott drops his inhaler and then Scott gets promptly caught.

“Hold it right there son. Don’t move.” One of the guards says and speaks into his radio.

The brunette catches a glimpse of his best friend just outside the window and it’s a testament to their friendship that they manage to have a conversation: _Stiles, run, don’t get caught. –I’m not leaving you here, Scott! –Run now!_

When all is said and done, it could have played out worse.

“How the hell could it have played out worse, Scott?” Stiles demands as he plops down next to him at school the day after Scott’s hearing.

Scott shrugs, “I’m not in juvie and all I got was community service because it’s my first offense and I’m only grounded for the next 3 months…it could’ve been through the end of the year _and_ summer.”

“You should’ve let me take the fall, Scotty, I’m the one that convinced you we should do it.” Stiles insists.

“Remember how you let the air out of Mr. Harris’ tires?”

“He was being a dick!”

“And spray painted ‘I over-compensate for my small dick’ on Jackson’s windshield?”

“He could’ve dislocated your shoulder when he rammed you into the locker!”

“ _And_ rigged Matt’s powerpoint presentation to play porn instead?”

“There’s a lot of dicks in this school.” Stiles grumbles at him and digs into his apple.

“Your father said and I repeat: ‘The next time you get caught up in this, you’re going to military school.’” Scott says, “I don’t want you to go to military school dude.”

“And I don’t want you being some snotty school’s bitch for the next however many days it takes you to do 200 hours.”

Scott shrugs, “It’s ok and it’s the next three months since I can only do two hours a day. It’ll be fine Stiles.”

“This is all my fault, dude.” Stiles sighs heavily.

And Scott could take the moment to put the blame all on him, but that wouldn’t be fair. Stiles didn’t put a gun to his head. Scott could’ve said no at any time.

“Bro, you’re my best friend…ever since you peed on my castle--”

“It needed a moat!”

“It’s ok.” Scott smiles at him reassuringly.

“How can you be this grossly optimistic all the time?” Stiles actually scrunches up his face and Scott laughs.

\--

Derek jumps slightly when Erica literally purrs in his left ear. He knows what that sound is. He turns around to face the shorter blonde with a perfectly raised eyebrow.

She smirks and juts out her chin, “Hottie alert: two o’clock.”

Derek turns his gaze until he spots him in the doorway on the other side of the room. He looks young…maybe about the same age as Derek’s little sister Cora. He’s wearing a janitor’s uniform from the looks of it.

“First of all that’s twelve o’clock. Second, don’t you have a boyfriend?” Derek asks Erica.

“Boyd would not disagree with me, believe you me.”

“I _believe_ you have no shame.” Derek shoots back.

She only shrugs, like the shameless flirt that she is, “That’s why we work. He carries all the shame so I don’t have to.” She smiles broadly.

Derek rolls his eyes, laughs, and almost misses his cue for the floor exercise. Kali, the instructor, gives him a look but counts and claps along to the music. He breezes through the floor work and almost collides with the kid on the other side of the room. He’s shorter up close and Erica has a point. He is really cute. His thick dark hair curls at the ends. He has these deep brown eyes and golden brown skin and a nice smile when he greets Derek. The chest he collided with feels really, really solid.

“Hi.”

“Hey.” Derek gives him the smallest smile before he turns away. He turns back and the kid is still standing there. Derek doesn’t mean to give off a vibe, but he must because the kid just shuffles away awkwardly and Derek is pulled back into class.

“Isaac…yeah I’ll see you in room 123 in about hour right?” Derek says into his phone when class has let out, “Ok good.”

“So get this,” Erica starts as she sidles up next to him and loops their arms together, “apparently that’s the kid who broke in here a while back.”

Derek chances a glance back. He doesn’t particularly look like a criminal, “How do you know that?”

“Isaac who knows because Cora told him who knows because Lydia told _her--_ ”

“Ok I get it.” Derek stops her before it goes on forever.

“Too bad.” She says and gives him a look before they walk out.

\--

By the time Scott’s two hours are almost up he’s ready to go. He has about 20 minutes left. He’s just dumping the last of the garbage when he sees Stiles’ old, battered Jeep Roscoe lumbering towards him.

“Excuse me sir when you’re done with that garbage can you do mine?” he calls out as he parks.

“Shut up dude.” Scott laughs.

“How are they treating you in there?” Malia Tate, Stiles’ girlfriend, asks him as she emerges from the car.

Scott shrugs, “They mostly just stare and then promptly ignore me. So basically no different than my regular life.”

He would give her a hug but he smells like literal garbage and he won’t subject her to that.

“What have you been doing in there anyway?” Stiles leans against the hood.

“Just cleaning the dance studios mostly.”

“Dance studios, huh? Pick up any moves you can teach me?” Stiles asks.

“Moves I can teach _you_?!” Scott laughs. Stiles is kind of the stereotypical bad dancer.

“Hey man! I’ve gotten so much better!” He protests, “Malia, my sun and stars, defend me!”

His girlfriend snorts and holds her hands up in defeat.

“I resent that. Look at these smooth moves!” Stiles dives into his car and cranks up the music. FloRida’s “G.D.F.R.” blares through the speakers and Stiles proceeds to do his rendition of the sprinkler and manages to halfway elbow himself in the face.

“Those are smooth?” Scott laughs.

“Smoother than you.” Stiles protests.

Scott rises to the bait, “Let me show you what I learned.”

He copies one of the combinations he saw in one of the classes. He doesn’t know the name of any of the moves just that there are a lot of kicks and ends in something called a triple pirouette. It’s really just a fancy name for three turns in a row which he does and then catches himself before going off balance, uses Stiles’ car as a springboard to bounce off of and ends it with a break dance combo he learned off of YouTube. It’s just goofing around but dancing makes Scott happy and he wishes he had the time and money to indulge in it. His friends whoop and holler for him and it makes Scott smile even more.

“Ok enough goofing off I have to go hand in my time sheet I’ll be back.” He says.

“We’ll be here.” Stiles says and leans against the hood of his car as he pulls Malia close to him.

Scott hurries to hand in his time sheet to his supervisor before he runs back out to meet his friends and leave for the day.

\--

“Dude you’re making me nervous.” Erica says as she closes her locker.

“How am I doing that?” Derek asks and looks up from the notebook he’s scribbling in.

“With this.” She snatches it out of his hand and waves it, “seriously man.”

The notebook kind of resembles a coach’s playbook with the various x’s and o’s drawn all over it. But it isn’t it’s his dance for the senior workshop. He has to come up with the perfect dance. Recruiters from dance companies from L.A. to New York are going to be there. It has to be perfect. Perfect routine…perfect music. Speaking of which Boyd walks towards them at just the right minute.

Vernon Boyd, also a senior, is Derek’s other best friend and aspiring producer. He, Erica, and Derek all met freshman year and have been friends ever since. He’s also been working on Derek’s music. He walks up to him and hands him an orange flash drive on a lanyard.

“Perfect music to take your routine to the next level.” Boyd says.

“Next level? As in it’s not already perfect? Let me see this.” He takes the notebook from Erica and opens it up to a page and starts dissecting it again.

Erica sighs heavily, “Here he goes again.”

They all walk down the stairs with Erica and Boyd trying to convince Derek not to stress (it doesn’t work) and trying to distract him (also unsuccessful). Something does catch his attention though. He manages to catch a glimpse of that kid who vandalized the school and from up here it looks like his cousin, Malia.

The kid is…not bad. He does the across the floor work Derek had been doing in their Advanced Jazz class almost perfectly. _Almost_. I mean, he could stand to point better. And if he spotted better his pirouettes would come off cleaner and his shoulders need to be more rounded. But…his high kicks are better than most seniors and he clears some ground with his leaps. His lines are clean and the way he transitions from jazz to hip-hop is mesmerizing.

“Derek!”

“Huh?” he whips his head around to see Erica and Boyd watching him.

“I said after rehearsal we’re taking you out for burgers.” Erica repeats.

“Yeah ok.” Derek spares another glance out the window again before he moves on to rehearsal. He has other things to think about.


	2. Chapter 2

Derek is screwed. He is completely, utterly, indefinitely, _fucking_ screwed. It started with Isaac, his partner and friend (also Boyd’s foster brother), spraining his ankle and now here he is holding auditions for an interim partner and he’s utterly, completely, indefinitely _fucked_.

“Thank you.” Derek says to the last person auditioning.

He tries to be somewhat nice and Derek knows that he fails because the poor freshman literally scurries out of the room. Derek presses the heels of his hands to each side of his head and just keeps pressing while a long, loud groan escapes from him.

Scott watches person after person come in and completely fumble the routine and the guy, Derek, steadily losing hope. Scott’s not sure exactly why he does what he does next. It might be all the groaning that’s happening but he puts down his spray bottle of cleaning fluid and walks over to Derek.

“Um…I’ll do it?”

Derek looks up at him sharp and confused, “Do what?”

Why is this kid speaking to him right now? Doesn’t he understand that Derek is trying to have a breakdown in peace?

“Uh…whatever it is you were trying to do here. I’ll do it.”

“You want to lift me?” Derek raises an eyebrow.

His senior project is…ambitious (“Complicated for no reason.” According to Erica. “So many lifts, man” According to Boyd). It’s really about two dueling princes and includes a lot of lifts and assisted jumps. Isaac was the only one with the upper body strength and legs to help Derek. He looks at this kid who can’t be more than 5’6”—5’7” at the most and actually snorts.

“It…doesn’t look too hard. I’m sure I could do it.” Scott says defensively.

“Look I get it: cleaning sucks. But you’re not going to use me to get out of doing community service, ok?”

“I’m not trying to get out of anything. I just thought I could help since no one that’s auditioned has been able to.”

That frustrates Derek even more (because he knows the kid is right), “Look kid just because you can get a couple good high kicks in and your pirouettes aren’t disastrous doesn’t mean you can do this, alright?”

Scott is taken aback, “How do you—were you watching me the other day? You thought my kicks were good, really?”

From what he’s seen Derek is probably the best dancer at this school and if he thinks Scott is any kind of good…well, that’s saying something.

“Wh—what?” Derek sputters.

“You thought my kicks were good?” Scott repeats.

“They were…ok. You could use some work.” Derek says.

“Like what?” Scott cocks his head to the side.

“Well you need to point your feet more. It’ll make your lines cleaner and make sure not to overextend—wait what are we doing?” Derek asks suddenly.

“You were teaching me how to make my kicks better?” Scott provides.

“No.” he points at the kid, “you can’t help me.”

“Bet I could.” He counters. Then he backs away and stands there almost…challenging.

“Oh yeah? Fine then…catch.” Derek says before he runs full speed and leaps in the air and whoa.

The kid actually catches him. He holds him steady and walks forward with Derek still in his grasp and not faltering once.

“How am I doing?” Scott asks him.

“Put me down now, please.” Derek huffs. When the kid does he straightens out his clothes, “Ok fine you caught me.”

Derek sighs because it was a done deal as soon as the other teenager caught him so easily, “Fine kid let’s see what you’re made of.”

“Scott.”

“What?” Derek turns his head.

“My name. It’s Scott.”

“Ok _Scott_. Let’s see then.”

Turns out: he’s good. Not perfect, but damn good. He picks up choreography quickly, he’s strong, and even without technique something about the way he moves to the music…he’s good.

They march down to Mr. Yukimura’s, the principal of the academy, office together. More like Derek drags Scott behind him.

“You want to do what?” Mr. Yukimura asks.

“I want--”

“Scott.”

“—Scott to be my interim dance partner until Isaac gets better.” Derek explains again.

“Why not craft a solo?”

“There’s no time! I’ve been working on _this_ routine for so long. A solo now would…please.” Derek pleads.

“Have you tried the juniors? Sophomores?”

“I’ve tried everyone who has the time. They’re not good enough.” Derek says.

Scott tries to keep his smile to a minimum (he’s not sure he succeeds).

“And he is?”

“Yes.”

“This is your risk, Derek.”

“I know.”

Mr. Yukimura nods in approval and they leave quietly after thanking him.

“Tomorrow, 3:00. Bring your tights.” Derek says as soon as they’re outside.

“Uh tights?” Scott questions but the senior is already walking away.

This…might’ve been a mistake.


	3. Chapter 3

“No. Again.” Derek says and snaps his fingers.

“Again.” Snap.

“Again.” Snap.

“No a--”

“Dude!” Scott finally snaps himself and it’s not his fingers.

“What?”

“What do you mean what? Are we dancing or going to war?”

“Excuse me?”

“You’re like a drill sergeant, man.”

“This is _my_ ass on the line, Scott. If you don’t like it you can go back to scrubbing floors and windows.” Derek growls. This kid practically begs to be his partner and now he doesn’t want to put in the work.

“Yeah you know what I could and you can go back to auditioning sophomores and freshman who can’t keep you 5 inches off the ground!” Scott shoots back. He’s trying and it’s like Derek can’t even see past that.

“If that’s what you want to do.” Derek challenges even if the heat’s gone out of it. He can’t afford to waste any more time.

“It’s not what I want to do actually.” Scott says softer this time, “I _want_ to help. But not—not like this. Not if you’re gonna be such a dick about it.”

Derek coughs to cover up his laugh, “I—I’m sorry. I just want this.”

“Clearly.”

“If I don’t get a job from this then my Uncle…my guardian is sending me to study business at Berkeley or Cornell or…” he pauses to see the look on Scott’s face. He expects to see the one people always give him: the one that says that he should stop whining because other people aren’t as lucky. Except Scott’s face is just…open. He’s just listening. No judgement in sight.

“You don’t want that.”

“I want to dance.” Derek shrugs.

“Ok,” Scott nods, “let me help.”

“Ok, again…please.”

Time flies by and before Scott knows it he has to go.

“I should head out…right now.” He says hurriedly.

“In a rush?”

“If I don’t leave now my bus will.” Scott says and starts to gather his stuff. Stiles got a detention again today and couldn’t drop him off or pick him up.

“I could…give you a ride. If—if you wanted.” Derek offers.

“You don’t have to.”

“Can I anyway?”

The drive to Scott’s house is quiet but not uncomfortable. It’s a nice kind of silence.

“You really are a good dancer, Scott.” Derek says when they arrive in front of his house.

“But…” Scott prompts.

“You just need the technique then you’re golden.”

“Oh is that all?” Scott says sarcastically.

“BHA offers beginner classes, you know.” Derek tells him.

“Yeah for a few grand just outside me and mom’s pay grade.”

Derek immediately feels bad, “Right, sorry. I didn’t mean--”

“It’s ok.” Scott smiles, “Thanks for the ride Derek.”

“Sure, hey…what are you doing this weekend?”

“What I’m doing every weekend for the next two months—being grounded. Why?”

“Oh right.” Derek says, “I just thought…we might get in more rehearsal time, if you wanted.”

“Sorry. Uh thanks for the ride—again.” Scott says before he exits the car.

He’s just finished showering when his mom literally appears in front of him.

“So the bus drops you off personally now?”

Scott jumps a few feet in the air, “Oh my God mom! You scared me and no um—that was Derek.”

“Derek?” she raises an eyebrow and crosses her arms. _Uh-oh_. So maybe Scott had kind of forgotten to mention the amendment to his community services.

“He’s just a guy…at the Academy that I’m helping…for like, community service like for a dance thing? I’m just his partner temporarily? His partner like hurt himself and no one could do the lifts but I could and it’s only for now and I’m sorry and--”

“Ok stop!” Melissa McCall says and holds Scott by the forearms, “breathe before you have an asthma attack.”

Scott does as he’s told. He hates disappointing his mother and this past month every time he’s looked at her coming back from community service he feels like he has. She’s a nurse and works extremely hard to make things work for them since his father walked out on them years ago. He hates making things even harder on her.

“You’re dancing again?” her face and voice go soft.

“Again? Mom—I only danced for like 3 years before I quit.”

“Before your father _made_ you quit.” She corrects.

It’s true. When Scott was younger, sports were never good for him because of his asthma and they didn’t inspire anything in him. Not like Ms. Gutiérrez’ dance class at the Y did. He looked forward to it every day. Until his father decided that he wasn’t going to pay for it anymore and that had been the end.

“It’s just—I’m just helping him out until his partner’s ankle is better again.” Scott says, “I’m going to get dressed—start dinner.”

“Scott?”

“Yeah?”

“Why don’t you call Stiles. Go out for pizza or something?”

Scott stops dead in his tracks and turns around, “Call…Stiles? But I thought—I’m not grounded?”

Melissa gives him a warm smile followed by a hug and a kiss on the forehead, “You’re a good kid Scott. Call your friend…don’t get arrested.”

Scott almost slips as he runs to his room to call his best friend and tell him the good news. He barely gets a text off to Derek a few minutes later when he hears the roar of Stiles’ Jeep in the driveway.

\--

“So…when you said extra rehearsal time…I didn’t think this is what you meant.” Scott whispers furiously.

“Shh!” the 10 year old in front of him glares.

“Sorry.” Scott apologizes.

Derek can’t help but snort at Scott’s mortification. The kids in his Saturday morning ballet class might just be more intense than Derek could ever be.

“Follow Isabella…she’s my best girl.” Derek says seriously and the little girl in front of Scott beams.

Scott actually does pretty well. Derek is kind of (completely) charmed by how serious he takes it even if he’s surrounded by a horde of prepubescent children. The kids, boys and girls alike, kind of fall for him too. Not that Derek’s falling or anything, he most certainly is not. They all kind of giggle shyly at him and rush to help him. It’s more than a little adorable.

“Ok guys, class is over.” Derek calls after an hour.

“Are you gonna come again next week Scott?” Isabella stares up at him.

“You bet.” Scott smiles down at her.

Derek watches all of them actually hug Scott before they file out to meet their parents outside.

“I have to talk to some of the parents,” Derek says to Scott and hands him the remote to the iPod deck, “I’ll be right back.”

When Derek returns about 10 minutes later Scott is rehearsing the routine. Derek stands in the doorway and watches him tries to see how it looks from an outside perspective. Even if the dance is missing a partner, Scott looks…good.

The few weeks of them rehearsing and he can see the other teenager incorporating his notes: his toes are pointed, his shoulders are more rounded and when he pirouettes he actually spots. The fall to the knee; however, is new. So are the knee-glides he does across the floor. The quick two-step footwork he does when he pops up is new too. It’s…impressive. _Wow_.

“Was my choreography not good enough for you?” Derek comments.

Scott looks like a deer caught in headlights, “No.” Derek gives him a questioning look, “Wait—no that’s not what I meant. It’s good! It is! I was just fooling around and—sorry.”

Derek pushes off the doorway and walks slowly towards where Scott is, “Show me again.”

“Really?”

“Yeah…show me again.”

He steps back towards the mirror and watches Scott go through it again. It’s not exactly like it was before. It’s still good though. Really good. In fact it adds something new and fresh to the dance that Derek hadn’t thought of before. But then again, he doesn’t do much hip-hop. He took it as part of his requirement at the school but his focus was always ballet and modern. He thinks now maybe he should have stuck with it.

“So?” Scott asks.

Derek walks next to him and stands calmly, “So when you drop to the knee…how do you go into the slides so smoothly?”

“Really?”

“Yeah let’s see it.” Derek smiles.

“Ok um yeah…” Scott smiles bigger and Derek ignores the way his stomach kind of flutters and instead pays attention to Scott’s instructions.

Derek doesn’t expect the time to fly by quite so quickly but before he knows it it’s early afternoon and they’ve changed so much of the dance Derek’s not sure he recognizes it from the scribbles he’d made in his notebook. But it’s better. He’s really excited about it.

“That was a really, _really_ good rehearsal. You have some great ideas Scott.” Derek says.

“Thank you.” Scott gives another one of those big smiles Derek’s come to associate with him, “I should head out…the bus.”

“Or I could give you a ride again. Maybe stop for some food?” Derek asks.

“Yeah…yeah ok, sure.” Scott agrees.

They end up getting take out and then Derek drives them to one of his favorite places near the Preserve. There’s an old steel mill factory with the most beautiful view of all of Beacon Hills.

“Wow…this is beautiful. How’d you find this place?” Scott asks.

“My parents…before they died owned a shipping company. It’s the one my Uncle took over and my Dad used to take me out here all the time.”

“Oh.”

“I imagined my whole routine out here.” Derek tells him and again Scott just listens. It’s nice. His older sister Laura moved away so they don’t talk as often. His little sister goes to boarding school so he doesn’t get to talk to her as much. And his Uncle Peter…Peter only cares about himself.

“Yeah?” Scott prompts.

Derek nods, “It was originally going to be a group piece, you know.”

“I didn’t. So why isn’t it?”

“My ex—she kind of convinced me that I could get outshined by a whole bunch of people around me. I didn’t want to risk it, you know?”

“That’s awful. Derek you’re like the best dancer at this school. Don’t ever let people dictate your dreams—it sucks.” Scott says firmly. Too firmly.

“Speaking from experience?”

Scott shrugs and Derek thinks that’s it but then he continues, “I did used to dance. Not like anything hardcore. I took some classes at the Y? Ballet, jazz, hip-hop it was so much fun!”

“Why’d you stop?”

“My dad. He didn’t think it was ‘appropriate’ or whatever. Put me in soccer and basketball and baseball. My asthma kind of put a stop to that.”

“You have asthma?”

“It used to be worse. It’s much better now, but even after he left I didn’t really go back to dancing.” Scott finishes telling him and then he looks up at Derek with the most intense gaze, “If you want to do a group routine you should do it.”

Derek has to break away from the stare and step back before he does something stupid like close the distance between them, “We should uh go, maybe.”

“Sure.” Scott says and as he walks the wheels in his head start turning. He has a really good, possibly really bad idea.

\--

Scott arrives at BHA a little earlier than usual and paces outside Mr. Yukimura’s office. He hesitates about going in or not. He finally works up his nerve and goes in only to find—a girl. A really pretty girl who he recognizes. Scott’s seen her around the halls and also in the picture on the director’s desk. Scott guesses she’s his daughter.

“Um hi.”

“Hi.” She says brightly, “my father’s not here. I…didn’t need to tell you that. You can see that for yourself considering I’m here and he’s not and…I’m going to stop talking.”

Scott laughs. He likes her already, “I’m Scott.”

“Kira. Hey um you’re the guy rehearsing with Derek right? I’ve seen you guys.” Kira says.

“Yeah I am. That’s actually what I came to talk to your Dad about.”

“You’re not quitting are you? You guys look so good together! Not that I’m stalking you or anything.”

“I’m not quitting. It’s just—Derek was talking to me about how he envisioned his dance as like a group routine? And I wanted—I don’t know…he’s kind of scared to do it and I think he should go for it. So I just wanted help, like, recruiting, or whatever. You know what it’s probably dumb…”

“It’s not!” Kira interrupts, “That’s really nice of you. My Dad probably can’t help with that.”

“Oh.” Scott says deflated.

“But I can!” Kira smiles brightly, “You know if you wanted. Unless you don’t want…that?”

“No I do! I don’t actually know anyone so.” Scott smiles.

“Great! Let’s go. You know my girlfriend, Allison is a dancer.” She says.

“Do you think she’d be interested?” Scott asks.

“Hmmm I’ll ask. Maybe I can also ask Mason and…” she trails off and Scott scrambles behind her as she rambles off who else she can ask.

Scott can’t believe exactly how successful they are. Kira is open and friendly and between them they manage to recruit four more dancers: Allison (Kira’s girlfriend) and Allison’s best friend Lydia. They also find two promising freshman Liam and Mason.

Scott is nervous when he sees Derek approach and hopes that he won’t be too angry with him.

“Wha—what is happening?” Derek asks confused.

“So…I didn’t know exactly how many dancers you envisioned for the piece but I thought—4 extra would be enough?” Scott asks.

Derek still has that flabbergasted look on his face as he looks around the room, “You…did this?” Scott nods, “How did you do this? Why did you do this?”

“Um Kira.” Scot points at the girl next to him who waves, “And…I knew you wouldn’t. Are you mad?”

Derek opens and closes his mouth and Scott expects that he completely fucked up when Derek runs to him and literally picks him up off the ground in a tight hug.

“So this means good things right?” Scott laughs.

“I—thank you!” Derek says happily and then quickly recovers, “Thank you. All of you, thank you. Thank you.”

“Maybe let’s get started yeah?” Scott smiles.


	4. Chapter 4

“Uh I think this it.” Scott directs Stiles as they drive up to the lake house.

Lydia, one of the dancers Scott recruited, had invited them all to her parents’ lake house to hang out after rehearsals and Scott was excited and nervous. With the constant rehearsing he hadn’t had much of a chance to hang out with Stiles outside of school and he was excited to have his best friend and Malia finally meeting Derek and the others he’d come to see as friends as well. Also Derek was bringing Boyd and Erica and Isaac with his hurt ankle.

Stiles whistles softly, “Swanky.”

Scott laughs, “Come on.”

When they walk up to the house everyone is there already.

“Hey guys.” Scott greets, “This is Stiles and--”

“Malia?” “Derek?”

“Um…you two know each other?” Scott looks between the two.

“Dude you didn’t tell me you were dancing with my cousin.”

“Cousin?” Stiles and Scott ask simultaneously.

“Yeah distant cousin Derek.”

The small party goes smooth after that. Lydia puts on music and Allison and Boyd break out the grill for burgers and hot dogs. Erica and Boyd are really nice and after everyone gets past Stiles’ sarcasm they warm up to him too.

It’s not long before an impromptu dance performance erupts. It’s Stiles’ fault. He wanted to debut a new dance move, Malia showed him up, and it kind of just devolved from there.

“Hey, primo ballerino…let’s see some of these moves you’ve been hogging my bro over.” Stiles calls out to Derek.

“That’s not an actual thing Stiles.” Scott sighs. He turns to Derek, “You so don’t have to.”

“I think we should show him some moves.” Derek accepts the challenge.

“We?” Scott questions.

Derek holds out his hand, “Middle section with the lift.”

“Your dance is chock full of lifts.” (“See, I told you!” Erica hoots). Derek gives him a look, “Ok middle section with the lift.”

Of course it’s one of the harder lifts that Scott’s been struggling with. But Derek looks at him expectantly and he gives him this confident smile and everyone is whooping and hollering and cheering them on. Derek leaps towards him and like usual Scott expects to falter except he catches him and this time holds him steady. When Scott looks up at Derek’s face it’s calm and trusting and serene and Scott just wants to—

“So is that it? Does the dance end right there? Freeze frame: breakfast club style?” Stiles interrupts the moment (were they having a moment?).

“Want to let me down now?” Derek half-smiles at him and Scott complies quickly ducking his head and hopes his face isn’t flushed.

It’s hard for Scott’s gaze not to follow Derek everywhere he goes. Not when he’s in knee-length board shorts and nothing else. Not when his laugh is such a nice sound. Not now since Scott’s realized he’s maybe developed an infatuation (he’s way past maybe).

When Derek hugs him goodbye before he leaves, it’s especially hard for Scott not to lean into him and let the hug linger.

He’s kind of screwed.

\--

Derek blames Erica. And Boyd for not stopping her. And Isaac for encouraging her. It starts with her pestering him about when he’s going to ask Scott out. Never. He was planning on never.

He and Scott aren’t like that. They’re friends. Scott’s just a friend. A really good friend. One who listens to him complain about his Uncle and doesn’t judge him. One who pushed him to go outside his boundaries. One who didn’t let Derek get in his own way.

He’s a friend who makes Derek laugh more at his corny jokes. And loves spicy Hawaiian pizza and got Derek to love it too. The only one to not cower under Derek’s glare. The only one who’s Derek taken to his special spot in the Preserve.

And Derek blames Erica because now he can’t help himself. Every time at practice he wishes there were more lifts so he could have more opportunities to touch Scott. He wants to wipe the sweaty locks out of the other boy’s face.

He wants. He wants…so much.

Derek blames Erica.


	5. Chapter 5

“Ok open it.” Scott says and hands the letter to Stiles only to snatch it back a second later, “no wait let me do it.” He takes the letter back and then proceeds to hand it off to Stiles again, “You do it—you do it.”

“Oh for the love of God!” Malia takes the letter from her friend, rips it open with a hard eye roll.

Scott knows he’s being a bit of a baby right now but this is a big deal. A few weeks ago he’d finally gotten up the nerve to fill out an application to Beacon Hills Academy of the Arts. The letter Malia was currently reading was the deciding factor on whether or not he made a good decision. If his grades, essay (that Malia and Stiles helped him out with), and teacher recommendations were good enough he would get an audition.

“What does it say? What does it say?” Scott and Stiles chant at the same time.

“You better get to work on that audition piece.” She smiles and slides the letter over to him so he can confirm for himself.

There it is in black and white. Scott smiles wide and whoops scaring the patrons of the Denny’s the three friends are currently eating breakfast in. They both come over to his side of the booth and hug him.

“So are you going to tell Derek finally? Have him help with the piece?” Stiles asks before he shoves half a waffle in his mouth.

“Better question: are you finally going to ask him out?” Malia asks instead.

“Yes. Maybe. Stop it.” The last part is aimed at Malia, who pouts.

“Dude he totally likes you.” Stiles says through a mouthful of waffle.

“Please swallow. And don’t encourage her. He’s—he’s my friend.” Scott says.

Stiles swallows down his food this time and wipes his mouth, “It’s my job to encourage her. And, bro, I don’t look at my friends the way he looks at you.” Malia just nods in agreement.

Scott sighs dramatically, “Come on. We have first period.” He grabs his bag and heads out the door before either of them can continue to badger him.

He walks around on a high all day. Not even Jackson’s general douchebaggery can dampen his mood.

He should’ve known better though. It all comes crashing down when he walks into Dance Studio 32 and sees Isaac: all healed up and showing it with the most perfect triple pirouettes Scott has ever witnessed.

“Scott there you are! Look! Isaac’s better!” Derek walks up to him and he’s…beaming. It’s the biggest smile Scott has seen on him. Only second to the time Scott told him his famous “guy walks into a bar” joke that ends in the corniest pun and Derek had laughed so hard Gatorade spilled out of his nose.

There’s no Gatorade but Derek is smiling all the same. Relieved and so, so happy that Scott maybe wants to cry.

“That’s…awesome, man. I’m so happy for you.” Scot injects as much cheer into his voice as possible. He’s really happy for Isaac. It’s just…he knows what this means for him now.

“Isaac picks up choreography really, really fast. So I was thinking maybe you can go through the routine with him, so he can pick it up? Dress rehearsals start like next week and I think he can get it by then, don’t you?” Derek says.

Scott tries to keep the smile on his face and hopes it doesn’t come off fake. He was never really good at not showing his emotions.

“I’d…sure. I’d be happy to.” Scott says and it sounds completely fake to him.

Derek, though, doesn’t seem to notice. He claps Scott on the shoulder and just keeps smiling. Scott doesn’t know how exactly he makes it through the whole practice without crying. He really only has himself to blame. He should’ve known better. But he let himself get caught up in this world like he actually belonged. _Idiot_.

\--

The first time Scott makes an excuse not to show up to rehearsals Derek is disappointed but he understands. He focuses his time on teaching Isaac the rest of the routine.

The second time Derek is less understanding.

The third time he drives to Scott’s house to see him.

“What are you doing here?” Scott asks surprised. He’s in low-slung pajama pants and a gray tank top with cheese dust on the hem. He looks soft and like he just got up from a nap. Derek wants to throttle him.

“You weren’t at rehearsal.” Derek says through gritted teeth.

“You didn’t get my message?” Scott’s face scrunches up in confusion. Even through his annoyance Derek finds it charming.

“Oh I got it. Just like I got the other two.” Derek says.

He watches Scott sigh deeply like _he’s_ the one that’s getting screwed over, “Look Derek--”

“This is fucked up Scott.” He doesn’t even let him finish.

“Excuse me?”

“You know how important this night is to me. How can you do this to me?”

“What—exactly am I doing to you Derek?”

“Are you serious right now? You know what…I should’ve known. I should’ve fucking known!” Derek practically yells.

“You should’ve known what?” Scott asks with an edge to his voice. And no he does not get to be the one upset. Not when he’s the one who’s been flaking.

“To tell you to piss off and go back to sweeping.” Derek almost snarls.

“Screw you Derek.” Scott steps into his space and Derek will be damned if he backs down.

“Right back at you. Who needs you anyway?” Derek spits out before he turns dramatically, stalks back to his car, and peels off.

\--

“What a dick.” Stiles grouches on the other line.

Scott runs a hand through his hair and flops down on the couch, “He’s—he’s just…”

“A dick?” Stiles provides, “who—before you try to come up with an excuse, bowled right over you as soon as Isaac could praline again.”

“Pirouette.” Scott corrects, “and it’s not like I was a student anyway. This was only temporary.”

“Whatever, dude. And you _will_ be a student after you kick ass at your audition.”

“Yeah about that…” Scott starts to say.

“Scotty, no. I know that voice. That’s your surrender voice…I hate your surrender voice.”

“It was a long shot anyway Stiles.”

“No it’s not! Scott, come on dude, you love to dance!” his best friend insists.

“I have to go Stiles.” Scott says.

“No you don’t. Don’t avoid me don’t hang up on me you little sh--” Stiles starts.

“Bye Stiles. That’s my mom.” Scott says and hangs up the phone.

He doesn’t want to have this conversation because he’s certain that Stiles will somehow end up convincing him to go through with the audition and get his hopes up only to be rejected later. If Derek, who he’d been rehearsing with for two months now was so eager to look right past him then surely the directors of BHA will do the same. It’s best this way. He really should have just minded his own business and kept on sweeping.

Things would have worked out so much better.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter! I hope you enjoyed this story!

“Derek, I can’t do this.” Isaac says to him after he’s come out of the knee-glide.

“Is it your ankle? Does it hurt?” Derek immediately goes to him to check.

“No, it’s not my ankle Derek. It’s this choreography and we both know it.”

“You’re doing ok.”

“I suck.”

“You’re one of the best dancers at this school Isaac.” Derek points out. There’s a reason Isaac got an early admission to the Boston Conservatory, and unlike Derek, isn’t pulling his hair out over this showcase.

“Ballet dancers. Ballet: that’s what I do,” Isaac corrects, “this—I can’t do any of this, Derek, and we both know it.”

“Please don’t do this to me.” Derek pleads. It’s literally 9 days until the senior showcase. Dress rehearsals start in two days. He needs Isaac. It’s bad enough that Scott quit on him, Isaac can’t too.

“You need Scott Derek.”

“Oh the guy who quit on me? I need that guy?” he challenges.

“No you need the guy that helped you take your routine to the next level. You know, the one, who you didn’t really talk to before offering me my spot back.” Isaac points out.

“I—he’s not a student. Mr. Yukimura probably wouldn’t let him perform and he knew it was temporary until you could dance again.” Derek defends but even to his own ears it sounds hollow.

He’s such an idiot and a jackass and _oh God_ the things he’d said to him!

“I screwed up.”

“Yeah you did.” Isaac doesn’t try to sugarcoat and Derek is only slightly grateful for that, “Not too late to fix it.”

“There’s no way he’s going to talk to me now.” Derek says. Not after that confrontation they’d had.

“Derek--”

“Just—at least give me a chance to fix the routine. I can make it work.” Derek reassures.

Isaac sighs, “It’s not my ass on the line though. But fine, I’m not just going to quit on you.”

“I can fix it.” Derek promises.

And he tries. Over the next few days he tries. Even as dress rehearsal starts and he sees his first glimpse at all the other performances and how exceptional they are. He spends more hours in the studio and onstage trying to rework the choreography. He works with Isaac, who gets better, but it’s nowhere near where it should be.

Derek is a tight-coiled spring ready to snap on Wednesday night. Two days before the final showcase. Two days before his future is decided. Mr. Yukimura is supposed to stop by tonight to see what the final show is going to look like. Derek has arrived a few hours early as he’s been prone to do to get more rehearsal in. Except the rest of the performers aren’t there.

_Damn it._

\--

Scott has just sunk into his armchair to the right of where Stiles and Malia are cuddled on the couch when the doorbell rings.

All three friends look at each other.

“That can’t be the pizza already, I literally called five minutes ago.” Stiles points out.

Scott shrugs and goes to answer. When he opens the door he’s surprised at the amount of people standing on his porch all dressed in leotards, tights, and various other dance attire.

“Uh…hey?” Scott says uncertainly to Isaac, Kira, Allison, Liam, Mason, Lydia and Boyd _and_ Erica. Jeez.

“We’re just going to cut to the chase: we need you. More specifically, Derek needs you.” Isaac says right off the bat.

“Derek…needs me.” Scott repeats.

They, _all of them_ , nod firmly.

“It’s gotten kind of desperate.” Erica pipes up.

“So…the only time he needs me is when he’s desperate?” Scott asks, irritated, “and if he needs me so bad why isn’t he here himself?”

“He’s an idiot.” “Have you met Derek?” “Really, Scott?” and loud, derisive snorts come flying at him all at once.

“Look,” Boyd steps in front, “I know after the way you two left things the last person you want to help is Derek. But he needs your help ok? I mean the other day I found a filled out application for Cornell.”

Scott’s surprise he’s sure is written all over his face, “He…doesn’t want to go into business. That’s what his Uncle wants.”

“Will you please, please reconsider?” Isaac asks. Every single one of them turn pleading glances on him and how is he supposed to resist that?

“But, I’m not a student. Mr. Yukimura won’t let me perform.” Scott reasons.

Isaac smirks and shrugs, “Who’s to say all of this rehearsal won’t somehow aggravate my already delicate ankle?”

Scott sighs, “Hey Stiles?”

“Yeah buddy?”

“Save me a few slices of pizza ok?” he turns back to the small crowd of dancers, “let’s go then.”

\--

Derek looks towards the doors as he watches his dancers stream through the doors, “Where the hell have you guys be—Scott?!”

The teenager, in sweats and a plain white shirt, waves sheepishly at him, “Hey Derek.”

“What are you doing here?” he asks incredulous.

Scott shrugs, “A little birdie told me you needed some help?”

“That little birdie, by the way, was me.” Isaac says unashamed, “you guys can make eyes at each other later there’s a dance that needs saving.”

Derek only has half a second to balk because he’s right. They don’t have much time to waste.

The rest of the night goes by in kind of a blur of rehearsals and talks about lighting and adjusting Isaac’s costume to fit Scott’s much smaller frame. By the time they finally get a moment alone together it’s almost midnight and Scott is on his way to Kira’s car so she can drive him home. Derek can’t let him leave without a proper thank you and apology.

“Scott, hold on!” he manages to catch him outside the school doors.

“Yeah?”

“I—I just—I wanted—I’m sorry.” Derek stammers. Scott waits patiently for him to get his bearings, “I said some pretty shitty things to you. Not to mention pushing you to the side as soon as Isaac came back. I…I was just so focused on this showcase and I—I was wrong and I’m sorry.”

Scott looks on patiently while Derek stumbles through his apology before he smiles slightly, “Thank you, Derek. Apology accepted.”

“Thank you for…coming back and helping me Scott. You didn’t have to at all. But you did anyway.” Derek says and he still can’t get over that fact.

“I did anyway.” Scott repeats, “So I guess you can tear up that Cornell application now.”

Derek’s not too surprised at Scott knowing that considering who helped bring him here, “Jumping the gun there, maybe.”

Scott shakes his head, “No. I’m not.”

He sounds so sure about it. Derek wants to say something else. Maybe thank Scott again, hug him, pull him in by the shirtfront and kiss him. But then Kira and everyone else come bursting through the doors and the moment’s broken.

\--

Scott’s heart is pounding. Hammering. Ricocheting. Threatening to dislodge itself from his body entirely—

“It’s normal to be nervous.” He jumps when he hears Derek’s voice behind him. The thick, black velvet curtain in front of him shrouds his view of the audience but he can hear them. He saw them earlier. It’s packed out there. His mother took off work for this. So did Sheriff Stilinski and his camcorder. Stiles and Malia are right in front (they had to be convinced _not_ to make posters so they settled on writing his initials in permanent marker on their hands).

“Is it normal that my heart wants to leave my body right now?”

“If it didn’t—then I’d be worried.” Derek smiles down at him. And that reassures him.

“So should _I_ be worried about you then? You’re looking pretty calm there.” Scott points out.

Derek decides then to take Scott’s hand and he notices how hard it’s shaking.

“You’re going to do great and all those schools are going to be falling all over themselves trying to get to you.” Scott squeezes his hand, “And I’m--”

“Going to prove your Dad wrong.” Derek finishes. Then the stage manager whispers that they’re going to start. Derek pulls Scott towards, “Break a leg.”

“Seriously why is that a thing?” Scott whispers.

And then the music starts and it’s like something else takes over him. The music, the lights, he can barely see past the first few rows but it’s all so…intoxicating. It’s like he goes somewhere else entirely. The raucous cheer from the crowd and the sudden darkness as the curtains close is what brings Scott back. He’s slightly aware that he’s being pulled off the stage and into the hallway backstage.

Scott is buzzing. He doesn’t think anything can compare to the feeling of being onstage and then Derek kisses him and there it is again. A feeling of being not totally there yet completely present. It’s over too soon for his liking.

“Whoa.” Scott exhales once he’s caught his breath.

Derek lets out a breathy chuckle, “Scott I—I don’t know how to thank--”

Scott stops him talking with another kiss. He needs their lips to be touching again. It doesn’t even matter that the hallway is teeming with other dancers going on and off the stage and into different dressing rooms. The second time they pull away it’s because Mr. Yukimura clears his throat. He’s standing there smiling with a woman standing regally next to him.

“Mr. Yukimura.” Derek says. He knows he’s blushing. He looks sideways and feels better that Scott’s face is also beet red.

“Mr. Hale. I’d like to introduce you to Marin Morrell. One of the recruiters from The San Francisco Ballet.” He introduces.

“I saw you at last year’s showcase.” She smiles calmly.

“You did?” Derek asks.

“This piece was different—showed risks and progress I wasn’t sure you were capable of.”

“Thank you.” Derek breathes out.

She hands him a business card, “Call me on Monday. I think there could be a great future at the San Francisco Ballet for you after graduation.”

Derek is speechless as he takes the card from her.

“And Mr. McCall is it?” she turns to Scott.

“Me?”

“Very nice work.” She smiles before excusing herself.

“One more thing, Mr. McCall.” Mr. Yukimura says, “Come fall, we expect all of our students to own at least one pair of tights. You’ll be getting a list soon.”

Scott opens and closes his mouth like a goldfish out of water, “But—but I skipped my audition.”

The director tilts his head in contemplation, “Did you? I think I saw a pretty amazing one just moments ago. Welcome to Beacon Hills Academy Mr. McCall.” He says before walking away.

Scott turns to Derek whose face emotes all of what Scott is feeling: bafflement, wonder, excitement.

“Did—did that just happen?” Scott asks.

“It looks all our dreams are coming true.” Derek smiles at him.

“It does, doesn’t?” Scott beams back.

\--

In the Preserve, Scott intertwines his and Derek’s hands and leans his head on his boyfriend’s shoulder as they watch the sun go down. If anyone had told him months when he’d walked in to Beacon Hills Academy that only a few short months later he’d be a future student there with a boyfriend, on his way to one of the most prestigious ballet companies, Scott would’ve called them crazy. But yet here he is.

Derek untangles their hands and instead wraps an arm around the other boy and brings him closer.

“Thank you, Scott.”

His boyfriend looks up at him with the confused expression that Derek’s come to cherish, “For what? I didn’t even pay for dinner.”

“For making my dreams come true. I wouldn’t be here without you.”

“Neither would I.”

The press of their lips still feels like that first time.

**Author's Note:**

> let's chat: elfysparkles88.tumblr.com


End file.
